The Life and Love of Endia's Knights
by umi amano
Summary: This is a collection of one-shots surrounding several Knight pairings in Chaos Wars. I hope all of you enjoy my preferred pairings!


Hello! ^_^ Chaos Wars is one of the newest games I have been playing in my PS2 since I still play this console a lot. Thanks to Idea Factory for heading such a project. A very enjoyable game. Anyway, this will be a collection of several Chaos Wars one-shots on pairings I support. Note that some of the pairings may only exist in the Chaos Wars realm and not in the original videogames the characters were taken from. Having that said, I hope you enjoy my latest creation!

* Toshini - How Okita referred to Hijikata

**#1: BACK TO REALITY (SOUJI OKITA X SHIZUKU MIZUKI)**

Yes, they have managed to collect all the keys to be able to open the door to the Tower.

Yes, soon, they will be able to stop Luin's madness.

Yes, when this happens, they will be able to defeat the Egg's will.

Yes, any day now, they will all be back to the realities they came from.

These thoughts collectively bombarded Souji Okita's minds as he was watching the starry night sky from outside of their so-called headquarters. It was already late but with all the recent developments in their condition, he couldn't seem to sleep well. Besides, he was used to doing this in his hometown of Kyoto, during the Meiji Era. Or at least that's where and when he came from.

_Things are so different for the other Japanese people here eh?..._

He didn't know when or how it started but suddenly, he has been feeling a little bit unusual, say, restless. He should be happy, right? That everything's going in their favor. That they finally have a solution to their initial problem. That they have finally verified a way back home. So why the hell was he feeling so restless?

Souji rubbed his forehead, his eyebrows furrowed in frustration and confusion. Being the captain of the first unit of the Shinsengumi, he was used to handling problems with ease and calmness. He was used to pressure but he usually coped with it very well, so much so that he has impressed Toshizou Hijikata and Ryoma Sakamoto in many occasions already. Even upon his arrival in Endia, he has been cool and level-headed in finding ways to verify his situation, which promptly led him into meeting Shizuku Mizuki, who eventually became the way for him to be able to join Hyoma Kusaka's group of Knights.

_Miss Shizuku..._

There's no doubt that the girl holds a special place in the samurai's heart. Aside from her being a fellow Japanese (which is a very valuable thing when you get sucked into another dimension with no one else to go to), she has been Souji's first companion in Endia and before Hyoma found them, the two of them have been traveling for several days, oftentimes protecting each other from monsters and well, helping each other get used to life in a completely different world. She wasn't your usual damsel in distress and so Souji didn't have a hard time traveling with her. She knows how to protect herself and her sunny disposition lightens up Souji's otherwise complicated mood. She is too loud and chatty sometimes but Souji found this unique personality rather calming. Everyone in the Shinsengumi is straight-laced after all. In a nutshell, he really enjoyed his time in Endia, primarily because he met a girl who baffled him to no end, yet inspired him well enough to continue protecting the rights of the Japanese people from the era he came from, fully knowing that Shizuku came from a future version of his world. How she managed to make this huge of an effect on him, he has no idea.

_Why am I suddenly thinking of these things?_

Souji felt that he already knew why he was feeling restless despite the positive outcome of their endeavor. He knew that he was going to miss everybody, despite their huge differences. He also knew that he was going to miss her, and that he wouldn't be able to see her again once they all go back home. He bit his lower lip in frustration but he knew this was true.

_If toshini finds out, I'll never hear the end of it..._

"Okitty?"

Souji's eyes widened a bit upon hearing his "nickname". He turned around to see a rather sleepy Shizuku walking towards him. She was rubbing her eyes, and she yawned before she reached Souji's side. The samurai smiled his signature good boy smile at her.

"Miss Shizuku, a lady shouldn't be up this late at night."

"No, I'm fine! I just woke up, you see!". Shizuku stretched her arms upwards and after that, she looked as giddy as always, as if she wasn't sleepy-looking a few seconds ago. Souji's smile widened at this.

"How about you, Okitty? Have you slept?"

"No."

"Why? Why are you still up? Are you hungry?"

"No, I ate dinner."

"You know, I always drink a hot mug of milk whenever I couldn't sleep."

"Really? Well, I guess that could work."

Despite his smile, Shizuku could sense the tension eating Souji inside. She fully turned to Souji and blinked at him. This made the samurai blink back at her out of confusion.

"What's bothering you, Okitty?"

"What do you mean, Miss Shizuku?"

"I can feel it, Okitty! You are worried about something!"

"Ah, is that so? Well..."

"You can tell me anything, Okitty! I promise I won't laugh nor tell anyone else!"

Souji didn't want to tell her but he knew that she would pry him open sooner or later. He also knew himself well enough not to contend with the fact that he can't say no to her.

"Well... would it be weird if I tell you truthfully that I somehow do not want to go back home?"

Silence covered them. Shizuku blinked at Souji, who looked down, smiling sadly. He shouldn't have asked, he only looked stupid.

"Well, no, Okitty, because I feel the same way."

Upon hearing that, Souji immediately looked at Shizuku, who was staring at the night sky, a small smile adorning her face. She continued to talk and the samurai continued to listen.

"Of course we'll all want to go back home sooner or later. Endia isn't our home and we all have responsibilities in our respective worlds. But, yes, sometimes I just don't want this experience to end, you know? In my world, everything we experience here can only be seen in anime and videogames and other virtual stuff. In my world, every day can be so boring, and so having monsters here in Endia spiced up my life in a way. I also met a lot of wonderful people and have made friends with everyone. I would want to see all of you again in the future, and if I go back to my world, I know it wouldn't be possible."

"Yes, that is true. I feel exactly the same way. But this can't last forever, you know. As you've said, all of us have left responsibilities in our worlds, some we couldn't just... ignore and give up."

"Will you miss me, Okitty?"

For a while, Souji stared at the inquiring Shizuku. He knew the question was innocent, but somehow, he wanted to tell her more than what was required of her question.

"Of course, Miss Shizuku. You are my very first friend here in Endia and I have enjoyed your company very much. Why would you ask that?"

"Well, because I will miss you too, Okitty!"

Souji's eyes widened when Shizuku glomped him and hugged him tightly. His hands were frozen in midair as Shizuku hugged him tighter, smiling giddily and giggling at his awkward reaction. Souji blushed a deep shade of red as Shizuku continued to innocently hug him. -

"M-Miss Shizuku, what-"

"I will miss you, Okitty!"

After the initial shock, Souji managed to smile. Shizuku was a little bit surprised when Souji hugged her back as tightly. This made her blush lightly.

"O-Okitty?"

"I will miss you too, Miss Shizuku. Very much."

The two of them continued to hug each other for a minute. After that awkward minute though, they immediately let go of each other, both of them blushing.

"Okitty, I... I need to tell you something."

"?? Yes?"

"Okitty... remember when Hyoma knew about your lung condition... and he told you that every Japanese person alive knew about that?"

"Yes, I do."

"Anou, Okitty... Hyoma wasn't lying."

"... I knew he wasn't. It was just really hard to believe."

"Okitty, I... you do know by now that Hyoma, Hayatemaru, Koyuki, and I know about... what happened to the Shinsengumi right? You know that you and your group are already important historical figures in our time?"

"Yes. Toshini and I know."

"Okitty. Y-You know, when we discuss the Shinsengumi in our history class, I was always bored. I didn't want to listen. After all, I have known the Shinsengumi and its ideals by heart ever since I was in elementary. That is how important all of you are to modern Japanse history. I... I'm starting to regret not listening to every single day you were discussed, Okitty."

At that, Shizuku's eyes started to brim with tears. Souji didn't know what to do, as he was also amazed at what she was telling him. He couldn't seem to move his hands to console her, nor even say anything to stop her.

_What...what is this feeling?_

"I knew from our history books that you were a good person and that you fought for every single one of us. I knew that you were an excellent samurai and that your skills were second to none, not even to Toshizou Hijikata. I knew that you were kindhearted and that you cared for the people you deem important to you. I am so happy that I managed to personally discover the truth in those history books."

Shizuku's tears started to fall and she couldn't help but cry. Snapping back into reality, Souji started to console her by hugging her and rubbing her back as she continued to weep on his chest.

"Sshh, Miss Shizuku..."

"Okitty, I am very sure that after this mission, I will never see you again. I will only be able to feel your presence whenever I read history books or whenever I go to history class, and that makes me so sad. I don't want to go back to my world, where you and Hijikata are... are dead."

Souji gulped back his intense desire to kiss her, something he had never felt before in his whole life. He continued to console her by hugging her tightly and by rubbing her back as her cries became louder and harsher. He closed his eyes, trying to hold back his own tears. What she was saying to him, he has never heard of, and yet he knew that she was telling the truth.

"Okitty, I will not forget you, ever. I mean, I literally can't because my teachers have been teaching me about you since I was a grade schooler but what I'm trying to say is that I will not forget the kind of person you are and the experiences I've had working with you. I may not be able to tell my classmates how truly great you are because they will think that I'm mad but that won't stop me from continuing to live with wonderful memories of you."

"That is more than enough for me, Miss Shizuku. You are more than enough."

After a while, Shizuku managed to calm down. She shyly wiped her tears away as Souji continued to longingly watch her. Shizuku stared back at Souji with her puffy red eyes and she formed a smile.

"I'm sorry for bursting like this suddenly, Okitty. Time is running out and I believe that I'll have to tell you everything sooner or later, or else I wouldn't be able to forgive myself."

"I... I have something to tell you too, Miss Shizuku."

Shizuku stared at Souji with her round hopeful eyes. Souji gulped before starting to talk again. He was really nervous and he couldn't hide the furious blush starting to form on his cheeks.

"You... matter to me. A lot. And not just because you're my first friend here, but because you are an incredibly unique and wonderful person. Whatever it is that I'm feeling, I can't comprehend it but I know for sure that you are very important to me. I know that after everything solves itself, we won't be able to see each other anymore. But I thank whoever it is I'm supposed to thank for bringing me to Endia because through him, I managed to meet you. I will also not forget you. Meeting you has done a great deal of impact in my being a samurai because once I go back to Kyoto, I will be more inspired to do my job well because I know that I will be doing it for you and the people of your time."

"Okitty... thank you. I'm so glad that you feel the same way. I know that we shouldn't allow this to grow more because we'll only end up getting hurt. But, let's cheer up! Let's make the most out of our remaining time together!"

Shizuku smiled giddily as usual. Souji truthfully smiled back at her.

"Yes, we will make the most out of it, Miss Shizuku. Let's start it right now, if you want. What do you want to do?"

"Hmm... let's play shogi!"

"As you wish."

The two of them started to walk back towards the entrance of the headquarters. For the first time in a very long time, Souji managed to truthfully smile.

_Yes, that's right. I will forget who I am for a while. We will make the most out of our remaining time together. I will make sure she feels how important she is to me, and I'm determined to prove it to her... until the last second before we go back to reality._

**END**

I hope it was good enough. I really love this pairing because it's so cute and so many stories about them enter my mind but this is it for today! I hope you continue to support this fic!


End file.
